Wayward in Winter
by Uzumaki-sama
Summary: Lea's new partner is reckless and starting to remind him of someone...


(For Digitalalchemist, Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa!)

 _ **Wayward in Winter**_

"I think we finally lost Fluffy McGruff back there."

Lea stepped away from the cavern entrance and pulled his hood down, shaking off the layer of snow that he had collected from the sudden blizzard. These icicles hanging overhead didn't exactly make this place feel inviting, but refuge was refuge, and they needed to get their bearings again. Especially now that a snow monster _wasn't_ chasing them.

"Didn't look fluffy to me," came the distracted response. "More like Death-sicle." Then, with a wince, " _Ow_ …"

If there was one thing that Lea had learned about his new partner since starting out on this adventure, it was that Riku wasn't afraid to take a blow for a friend. Unfortunately, Lea still wasn't much of a healer, which made this partnership a little one-sided sometimes… (Not that Riku made it easy on him.)

Figuring they were safe enough for now, Lea turned his attention back to Riku, who was already discarding his coat to tend to his wound, which had begun to bleed through his hoodie.

It must've been deep. Even though Riku had taken the hit for him, Lea had been right _there—_ he had _felt_ the impact of the monster's spiked fist slamming into Riku's side.

Riku had brushed it off at the time, gotten back to his feet, and held out long enough for them to lose the monster in the blizzard, so Lea hadn't considered how badly his partner might have been injured til now.

As Riku carefully peeled the hoodie material away from his wound, Lea spied not just one puncture wound—but three. Yeesh… That could have been Lea's face.

Drawing in a shaky breath, Riku pressed trembling fingers to his side and grimaced.

"Hey—"

Lea slipped his checkered scarf off and folded it. He knew Riku didn't usually like his help with this kind of thing, but without Sora and the others here to help them, Riku had (slowly) been more and more willing to open up to him.

Resting a careful hand on Riku's shoulder, he offered his scarf to him.

Their eyes met. Riku's jaw clenched.

Lea saw, and understood, the conflict there: the need to prove himself, the stubbornness that Sora had tried to warn him about, and then the ultimate acceptance.

They were partners now. Sometimes, Lea had to remind himself of that fact, too—that they had to rely on each other, not just themselves. World after world, they were starting to get better at it.

Riku nodded and took the scarf from him.

"Thanks."

He pressed the colorful cloth into his side to suppress the bleeding, and moments later, the gentle glow of a cure spell emanated from his fingers.

Lea playfully shrugged and turned away. "I'd say, 'Sure, kid, any time,' but I don't want you to make being a punching bag into a hobby." He paused to gesture at him, with a smile. "You know, more than you already have."

That earned him a quiet laugh. Riku smiled a little and continued his healing. "Yeah, I guess I have."

At the sight of another shiver, though, Lea knew it was his turn to step up.

"It's probably a bad idea to go back out there right now, at least while this blizzard is going on," he said, turning his attention to the cave floor. "Let's get you warmed up!"

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his keyblade in a swirl of magical flames, and within moments, he had made a steady campfire sustained by his own magic.

Its orange glow filled the small cave, highlighting how dank and inhospitable their temporary haven really was, but at least it was shelter from the biting wind and ice. What he wouldn't do to go back to a warmer world right now… Maybe something tropical—or even the Agrabah desert! Yeah. Sand dunes over snow drifts. _Brrr._

Rubbing his arms, he sat cross-legged in front of the fire and then held his hands toward it. "I guess being from an island, you guys rarely got snow?"

"More like never," Riku said. "It's summer practically year round back home."

Lea looked up at him with a raised brow, deciding that something tropical sounded good enough after all. Especially after the kind of day they'd had. A land locked in an eternal winter didn't make a great vacation spot. Destiny Islands, though? "Maybe I'll get to visit again and actually enjoy it when this is all over," he mused to himself, remembering his brief visit to Riku's home to kidnap the princess. Heh. How far they'd all come since then.

"Yeah, maybe," Riku said.

He actually sounded open to the idea? Well, well…

Lea smiled up at him, more touched than he'd admit.

Riku, who had fashioned the scarf into a makeshift bandage, returned the smile with a subtle one of his own, and fixed his hoodie. "Sure beats being out here. I feel like I can't move in all these layers…" He retrieved his coat from the floor of the cave and slipped it back on, making a face at how heavy it was. "Kind of hard to dodge when I'm ankle-deep in snow."

"As if! You were moving better than _I_ was," Lea said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "If you hadn't been there to block 'em, I would've had icicles in my face."

Riku leaned close behind him, playfully pushing at his head. "Might have been an improvement," he said with a smirk.

Lea laughed and turned to whack Riku's arm. "Hey!"

Joining in with his laughter, Riku sat beside him in front of the fire, knees pulled up to his chest. His wound didn't seem to be bothering him anymore, making Lea wonder just how strong his cure magic had gotten recently. He didn't ask, not wanting to encourage Riku's rash heroism.

Riku relaxed at the fireside next to him, his arms wrapped around his knees as he stared into the firelight, his body still shivering. Lea could feel the chill emanating from him and was glad he had made the fire. Sometimes Riku was so dead-set on their objectives that Lea forgot to make him slow down. He was a good leader and a better keyblade master, but he sucked at taking care of himself. And Lea—well, he wasn't the best at it, either…

It took a few minutes, but Lea felt Riku's shivering gradually subside as the fire's warmth worked its magic.

Silence stretched between them as they relaxed together, huddled close in front of the fire without realizing how close. Lea didn't mind. He'd kinda missed this feeling.

There was a familiarity there between them that Lea hadn't noticed before—the kind of comfortable companionship that he hadn't felt since…

Well, since Isa.

In a lot of ways, Riku did remind him of his old friend. He could admit that to himself.

Mostly, it was Riku's snark. Lea appreciated good snark.

(He sure brooded like Roxas, though…)

And based on his expression, Lea could tell something was eating at Riku.

He also knew that, after traveling so long with him, Riku reeeeally didn't like being teased about his brooding. He sadly didn't get that cute confused look on his face that Roxas used to get whenever he was deep in thought and the answers were just outside his reach. Riku was feisty—and sharp. At least towards him, in particular. Lea had learned to just let him be, and eventually Riku's thoughts would come out on their own. He just needed the time to work things out himself.

Eventually, they did.

"That was no heartless."

Riku's voice carried a quiet suspicion that mirrored Lea's own about this world. Both of them had expressed doubts about their mission before, but now they had concrete evidence that something fishy was going on.

Lea glanced at him, a little proud. "So—you noticed, too, huh?"

"Yeah." Riku's expression hardened. "That monster was magical." Brow furrowed, he curled his hands into his coat as he thought aloud. "We were told that the ice queen was the reason this world was filled with heartless." He glanced at Lea, firelight reflected in his eyes. "If that's true, why didn't she attack us with heartless?"

Lea gave him a playful shrug. "We could always ask her," he suggested, only half joking. "I mean, someone doesn't throw her kingdom into eternal winter and build a massive ice castle in the mountains for no good reason, right?"

"Right." Riku lifted his chin, his shoulders squaring with conviction. "There's more to her story than what Hans told us. I'm sure of it."

When Riku got to his feet, Lea didn't stop him.

He recognized that look on his partner's face—that same look that usually meant they were in for some dangerous fun ahead, probably about to die, maybe lose a limb or two…

But Lea loved that look. He loved the thrill of jumping headlong into danger with someone as fearless as him and trying to accomplish something stupidly brave.

"So—what?—we see if she's willing to talk after she tries to kill us again?" Lea asked with a chuckle. "Well, count me in." He rose into a squat, stretched, and then stood to his full height, dragging a hand through his hair. "After all, _someone's_ gotta be bait for Fluffy McGruff, right?"

"Death-sicle." Riku gave him a confident smile that reminded him of Isa all over again. Damn, that kind of cockiness was contagious. "And yeah, leave the queen to me."

Spreading his arms, Lea laughed and shook his head. "I'm starting to think you _like_ being the reckless hero. But all right—"

With a sweep of his hand, he dismissed both the campfire and his keyblade, and then flipped his hood back up.

"Let's go meet the queen."

Smirking now, Riku clapped him on the shoulder and headed for the cave exit before him. "Don't forget we have to get past Death-sicle first."

"Fluffy McGruff."

"Death-sicle."

"Fluffy McGruff."

"Try calling it Fluffy McGuff to its face and see what happens."

"After _you_ call it Death-sicle, reckless hero."

Punching Lea in the arm, Riku laughed, and they stepped back into the blizzard to face their snowy foe, together.


End file.
